Ugochukwu victorious in FRME’s red-flagged Dubai opener

Photo: FRME

R-ace GP’s Ugo Ugochukwu claimed victory in the first Formula Regional Middle East race at Dubai Autodrome on Saturday.

The first half of the morning’s first qualifying session was quiet, then most of the field headed out on track at the same time which made for traffic problems straight away. Pinnacle Motorsport’s Finley Green found clean air to sit on provisional pole.

He was still still on top by 1.3 seconds with three minutes to go, as many drivers finally attempted flying laps after trying to find gaps.

ART Grand Prix’s points leader Evan Giltaire knocked Green off top spot, setting a 1m54.481s. His title rival Brando Badoer and Ugochukwu slotted into second and third, with Mumbai Falcons’ Rashid Al Dhaheri in fourth as they entered the final minute of Q1.

There ended up being no change in the top 10 until the very end, when R-ace’s Enzo Deligny improved to 10th. Giltaire claimed pole by 0.09s over PHM Racing’s Brando Badoer and with a 0.136s gap to Ugochukwu.

Al Dhaheri was 0.239s off pole, then everyone else was over half a second behind. Sainteloc Racing’s Theophile Nael pipped Mumbai Falcons’ Freddiet Slater to fifth, and ART GP’s Kanato le and Taito Kato qualified on the fourth row. R-ace’s Jin Nakamura was ninth.

The track was coated with dust by the time the race began, which actually presented an advantage for those starting further back as the drivers at the front had to clear the most. As a result, Giltaire and Badoer were slow off the line Al Dhaheri was able to poke between them while Ugochukwu went for the outside line.

After a brief four-wide moment, the lead was Ugochukwu’s and Badoer also got past Giltaire. Despite the dust, the McLaren junior did not have to worry too much once he was up front as he claimed his fourth FRegional win.

Giltaire attacked Badoer into turn one on lap five, and and on lap seven PHM Racing’s Everett Stack into retirement there. The safety car was called, bunching up the field but with second to sixth already in a line led by the aggresively defending Badoer.

Ugochukwu’s three-second gap was cut, but on the lap 10 restart he was able to pull away again. Nael passed Nakamura for fourth at the hairpin at the end of the back straight then pulled away, and Al Dhaheri cleared him too later in the lap. Having held off Slater, Le was next to pass Nakmura and did so with a great sweeping move.

Slater and Deligny also overtook Nakamura on lap 11, which ended with Pinnacle team-mates Ernesto Rivera and Hiyu Yamakoshi colliding. The safety car was needed, then red flags waved on lap 13 to end the race.

Badoer became Giltaire’s closest title rival by holding him off for second, and Ugochukwu jumped to sixth in the standings with victory. Green started 25th and finished 19th.

Race results (12 laps)